Brick-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN PARKS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BRICK-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 171,390, dated May 26, 1857.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN PARKS, of San Francisco, in the county ofSan Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Modes of Feeding Empty Molds in Machines forMolding and Pressing Bricks; and I do hereby declare thatthe followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, inwhich- Figure l, is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2, is alongitudinal vertical section of the same, the plane of section beingthrough the center. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 4, isa detached front view of the frame and molding, or press-box.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of theseveral ligures.

This invention consists in a novel arrangement of parts for feeding andproperly guiding the empty molds underneath the molding or press box.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents the framing of the machine, the side pieces (o.) of whichare grooved. or rabbeted at their inner sides as is shown at (7)) toform guides for the molds which are fi tt ed or placed between said sidepieces (a) a On the framing, A, and rather forward of its center, a boxB is placed; the upper part of this box is of rectangular form; thesides and end pieces being parallel with each other; but the back endpiece (c) at the lower part of the box B, is of curved form, as plainlyshown at Fig. 2; the lower end of the end piece (c) being so curved asto extend forward underneath the front end piece (d). The said front endpiece does not extend downward to the lower end of the back end piece c)aspace (e) is allowed between them as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The sidepieces, (f) (f), of the box, B, are parallel with each other theirentire length and height. y

Within the upper part of the box, B, three shafts (g) (g) (g) are placedtransversely; these shafts have larms passing through them; the teeth orarms being of such a length that they will not interfere with each otheras the shafts (g) rotate. These shafts (q) are connected bygear-wheels(r) at one end, as shown plainly in Fig. 1.

In the lower part of the box, B, a rotary scraper D is placed. Thisscraper is formed by having blades (s) attached to the outer ends ofarms (15) which are secured radially ltoo a shaft (u) placedtransversely within the The blades (s) are placed tangentially with theshaft (u), as shown in Fig. 2; said blades extend the whole width of thebox B, or from side to side. Two blades (s) are employed; the bladesbeing at opposite sides of the shaft.

In the box, B, a feed-board (t) is placed. This board is allowed toslide in and out of the box, slightly inclined from a horizont-alposition, as shown in Fig. 2. To the under side of the board (t), racks(u) are attached; one at each side, in which racks, pinions (16) gear;said pinions being placed upon a shaft,

In front of the box B, and resting upon the upper part of the frame, A,a molding or press-box, C, is placed; and a piston or plunger (a) isplaced and fitted snugly within the box C. Underneath the box C, or atits lower end, a grate (7L) is placed, and at the front edge of thegrate (71,), a stationary scraper (z') is attached; said scraper beingformed of a vertical board or strip having its lower end rounded insemicylindrical form; see Fig. 2.

To the front side of the molding or pressbox, C, a smoother (L) isattached; said smoother being formed of a board slightly inclined from ahorizontal plane, and attached to the box, C, by brackets Cn one end ofthe rotating scraper shaft (u), a wheel (r) is attached; said wheelgearing into the wheel (1") of the lower shaft, (g). p

On the front end, and underside `of the frame, A, there is placedtransversely a shaft, A, and on each end of this shaft, a pinion (m) isplaced, and also alever or arm (n). The pinions gear into racks, (o), atthe'lower parts of vertical bars, which have their upper ends attachedto a cross head (p) which is connected to the piston or plunger by tworods On the back end of the frame, A, there are placed four guides, C1,two at each side, in which guides, slides (b) are fitted. To the slides(6') at their outer sides, at about the center, rods (a) are attached;the lower end of one of said rods beingY connected to a toothed wheel,(5), which is attached to one end of a shaft, B, underneath the frame,A. The wheel (5) gears into a pinion (00) on the scraper shaft (u). Theopposite end of this shaft has an. arm attached to it, to which thelower end of the other rod (a) is attached. Rods (64) are attached tothe rods (a.) and the upper ends of the arms (o) on the shaft A. To theinner sides of the slides (b) arms (g) are Aattached at right angles,and on the arms (g) the rods (6') of a cross-head (f) are placedloosely, so that the said cross-head may rise and fall. To the innersides of the two outermost guides, C, inclined'planes (cl)` are pivoted,one to each outer guide, as shown in Fig. 3.

The mol-ds, C, shown in Fig. 4, are of the usual construction. Therabbets (b) should be faced with iron. The box, B, and the molding orpress-box C, and its piston or plunger may be constructed of cast iron,and also the rotary scraper, D.

The operation is as follows: The feedboard (15') is shoved into the boxB, by turning the pinions (16), and the communication between the upperand lower parts of said box is cutofi. The machine is then put inmotion; and the clay, after being perfectly moistened, is thrown intothe upper part of the box, B, where -it is quickly tempered by theaction of the teeth or arms (g). The feed-board (t) is then drawnoutward, to leave a sufficient space to allow the tempered clay to passdownward into the lower part of the box B, from whence it is pressed orforced by the blades (s) of the rotary scraper, D, through the space (e)into the molding` or press-box, C, and underneath the piston (u), thedownward motion of which bears directly upon the clay, and forces itthrough the grate into the molds. Then, as the piston rises, anothermold is brought underneath the box,

C; the latter empty mold forcing the preceding and lled one out fromunderneath the box, C, and also underneath the stationary scraper andsmoother, The scraper takes off the superfluous clay, and the smoother(z/)iinishes or smoothes the upper surfaces of the clay in the molds.The molds are placed, one at a time, on the back end of the frame A, inthe rabbets (b) and between the two inclined planes The cross-head (f)during its backward movement, passes over the upper surfaces of theseinclined planes, and therefore does not come in contact with the mold;but when it has passed over the inclined planes, it drops down behindthe mold; and as the cross-head is moved forward, and carries the -moldwith it the cross-head raises the inclined planes and passes underneaththem. It will be observed that the arms (g) (g) project inward towardthe center of the ma- Ychine, and consequently act as movable guides toinsure the even and proper movement of the molds to and under the pressbox. If it were not for these arms (g) (g), the mold just forward of theone in contact with theqcross-head would be liable to rise up, owing tothe resistance of the lled molds, and derange the proper and even actionof the machine. The reciprocating movement of the cross-head (f) isproduced by the rods (a) (a) and the arms (o) (fu) on the shaft A', andthe wheel (b) and arm on the shaft B. The movement of the crosshead (f)is such that the molds will be' fed underneath the molding or press-box,C, at the proper time; and the blades (s) (s) so rotate that they willact upon the clay to force it into the box, C, when the piston orplunger is raised.

l do not claim the rotating shafts (g), provided with teeth, or arms(g), for tempering the clay, for they have been previously used. Neitherdo l claim feeding the molds to the press box by means of areciprocating or swinging cross-head; for I am aware that such a devicehas been used before. But

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

Feeding the molds to or underneath the molding or press box C, and alsodischarging them therefrom, by means of the reciprocating and swingingcross-head (f), operated by the rods (a) (CW) connected with the slides(ZJ) and the shafts A, B, when used in combination with the pivoted'in-l clined planes (CZ) (cl) and projecting arms (g) (g') substantiallyas described, for the purposev specified.

STEPHEN PARKS.

Witnesses:

JAS. S. HANDLEN, L. A. DE GRoo'rE.

